Welcome back everyone to another installment of TDT! We're kicking off another story arc! Yay!
This should have been out sooner, but I took ill. So, sorry about that.
As always, I'd like to thank everyone who left a review last chapter. Thank you MagisterShiryu, noone297, Baoh joestar and Guest! As always, thank you for just showing your support, it means a lot.
To answer one question, in regards to the Interludes. When its a flash forward its technically a spoiler, because I'm confirming a character makes it to the end of the story. And trust me, there's an end goal to this story. So far I've confirmed Cardin and Pyrrha make it to the end with their interludes, so I have to be picky with who pops up in those. As the story unfolds, we'll see other characters in the future, but only when its appropriate. Because, well, there needs to be some degree of suspense.
Anyways, uh...so The Fall of Vale...
WARNING: This Rated M.
XLI
The Fall of Vale: Part 1
"This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men." Cinder's voice carried throughout the stadium, reaching the ears of horrified audience members, and the students hailing from the four kingdom's premier Huntsmen academies. "Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."
Any attempts to cut the world wide video feed proved futile. Up above in the commentator's box, Oobleck and Port shared sullen looks while they were taunted by their failure to prevent tragedy. The great General Ironwood himself stood horrified in the booth, having bargged in moments ago to lend his assistance in any way he could, only to find he was completely powerless.
"They cling to this power in the name of peace," Cinder continued her speech, from a lone rooftop in Vale. She sat crosslegged on an AC unit, staring up at Amity Colesseum floating up in the sky, a prideful smirk on her face. "and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."
Down below in the arena, stood a devastated Pyrrha, her eyes glued to the body of the robot girl she'd just murdered. She raised her hands to cover her mouth, to halt any scream. But the flow of tears raining down her cheeks were left unattended all while Cinder's voice danced around her. "And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither."
"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets." The spectators reeled back as the fresh memories of the recent Breach were forced to the forefront of their minds.
"Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces." Cinder said as the recently freed Roman Torchwick commandeered the Atlsian fleet's Flagship. Aided by his mute assassin, Torchwick turned the ships guns on the rest of fleet and proceeded to blast them out of the air. "Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves."
"As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?" Cinder said, before ending the transmission. She'd said all she needed to say. Now all she really had to do was wait for the dominos to fall. Her subordinates would return to her in time, she told herself. The White Fang and their Grimm will cause panic and that will attract a larger Grimm force. And no doubt these so called 'protectors' such as Ozpin will go running to swiftly secure the true prize, the maiden.
And then the maiden would be hers.
The cold and alluring voice of a mad woman fell on deaf ears to one lone Thrush. Too caught up in the horror he faced, Russel stared into a blood red abyss. Just as he did nine years ago back in the forests of Oakwood. And The Ursa who'd plagued him then, who plagued him now, stared back with deathly intent.
The beastly creature let out another one of its bone chilling roars. It charged forward, the metal chain surgically grafted to its neck during its imprisonment clattered against the metal flooring. And the pair were back there again, Russel and The Ursa, back in Oakwood. A young child with his back against a tree, a monster running full speed to devour him.
And there would be no timely rescue like before, his Father was long dead, buried beneath a shattered pale marker at Saint Jack's cemetery. All those who could step in to save Russel stood or sat idly by while Cinder carried on with her monologue. Those he trusted were too far away and unaware of dire situation.
Russel had frozen up entirely and was snared by the charging Ursa's powerful jaws. He let out a pained howl as the Grimm lifted him into the air by his side, its teeth puncturing through his aura and breaking his skin. The Ursa flailed about, tearing at Russel like a ragdoll before releasing him, flinging him across the landing pad.
The Thrush came to a screeching halt, his spiked shoulder pad scraping against the floor like fingernails to a chalkboard. A lazy hand fell to rest itself upon his damp wound, the shock of pain, stirring Russel alive. He winced as he applied pressure to the fresh wound. He rose his hand, inspecting the blood.
A little aura could go a long way, Russel had recovered from enough scrapes and burning clubs to know this to be true. But that involved unadulterated concentration, something he couldn't spare at the moment. Snapping to attention, Russel found The Ursa charging towards him once more. His mind was racing, adrenaline pumping, blood flowing. He was a dead man if he continued to lie on the floor, so Russel pulled himself off the ground, biting his lip against the pain in his left side.
He applied his hand to cover wound and readied himself for The Ursa, its thunderous footsteps like earthquakes shook the very metal floor Russel stood on. Thoughts and realizations occurred to the CRDL boy as his brain reached its final conclusions. All of Russel's victories against Grimm had been claimed due to an advantage. The starved and erratic pack of Creeps he'd encountered in Oakwood, he'd killed with the help of his team. And the Grimm The White Fang were plundering from Oakwood Academy, he'd killed in their cages.
Russel had never once truly bested a Grimm by his own merit. And he knew he wouldn't be doing so today, not against this Ursa. The tables had been turned and he was at a disadvantage. But that was alright with him, The Thrush smirked as he reached up from his wound to the clasp of his shoulder pad strap, unhooking it and removing it from his person.
"Come on you bastard." Russel taunted the Grimm as it charged at him with those blood red eyes. He raised the spiked shoulder pad and aimed it liked a gun. "Come on." He squinted, staring back at The Ursa. "Come on." He muttered, starring past The Ursa and catching sight of its chain leash.
The Ursa roared, it was right on top of him now. Russel could practically see his blood dripping from its teeth. The Ursa reeled back a limb, aiming to swipe the CRDL boy's head clean from his shoulders. It struck, but Russel's head was not removed. The Thrush ducked, avoiding the fatal blow and turned the shoulder pad vertical, aiming the jagged mental spikes at the Grimm's exposed belly.
With all his might, Russel rammed the spikes upward, gutting the Grimm. He then ran it along The Ursa, tearing into it with three ragged streaks. If Grimm could bleed, The Ursa would be pooling at the feet. It let out a pained roar and lashed outward, striking Russel and sending him flying once more.
Russel collided with one of The White Fang's parked bullheads, bouncing off the metal hull with a hard smack. He fell forward, landing face down on the cold metal surface of the landing platform. The Ursa's pained wails and natural fight or flight instinct forced the Thrush back to his feet, fighting against the pain. He reclaimed his shoulder pad, his only means of defense. Russel eyed The Ursa, sizing it up, noting the wounds he'd inflicted.
He was halfway tempted to pat himself on the back when suddenly, the wounds on The Ursa began to dissipate, rapidly healing. Russel watched, eyes wide as the beast recovered, looking as if he'd never struck it. The Ursa let out a healthy roar and readied itself to pursue Russel once more.
The reality of Russel's situation began to set it, his bout with The Ursa would only end in his death. The Grimm had the edge where it counted, it healed while all he could do was bleed on himself. So faced with this, the Thrush turned on his heal and began to run, determined to prolong the inevitable. Seeing the Thrush take off further down the rim of the colosseum landing zone, The Ursa took off after him, willing to pursue Russel to end of the world if it came to it.
At Beacon Tower, Ozpin stood facing his glass window, watching as the kingdom of Vale fell all around him. From where he stood, Ozpin could see the Grimm practically marching to his doorstep, slaughtering every innocent in sight. But the Grimm weren't the only danger to the kingdom, as by Main Avenue, the old Headmaster could spot the familiar Grimm masks worn by the radical White Fang.
"I can't raise any of our border teams." Goodwitch announced as she entered the office.
"We'll have to assume the worst." Ozpin muttered somberly. "Those poor fourth years…" It was a well-known fact between the pair of Beacon faculty, that students in their fourth year attending their fair academy would be assigned active field work to better prepare them for their future as Huntsmen. Such tasks they'd be handed would consist of technical support here at Beacon as well as border patrol to discourage the curious Grimm from entering their Kingdom.
Hearing Goodwitch's foreboding tone, Ozpin couldn't help but assume the worst. One look outside and his worst fears were all but confirmed. An entire generation of Remnant's protectors, wiped out in an instant. And all the Headmaster could do was stand and stare. Never before in all his years had he felt so powerless.
"Orders, Oz?" Qrow asked from where his stood in the shadow of a support column off to the side.
"Go, get down there." Ozpin said, turning to face his colleagues. "Save everyone you can." He said, finding the resolve within himself. Both Qrow and Goodwitch exchanged a knowing nod and set off for the door, followed by the fourth individual present in the office, one Sky Lark, the most recent addition to their inner circle.
But before Sky could step out the door, the young man found himself being called out to by the Ozpin. "Not you, Sky."
"But, Headmaster, I can help." Sky said, removing his scroll from his pocket and showing Ozpin he'd already pulled up the weapon requisition prompt. With the press of his thumb, Sky could have his halberd in hand in an instant via rocket locker.
"Believe me when I say any one Huntsman can turn the tide of any battle, of any war." Ozpin said as reached down, claiming his cane. "But your mission is too important."
"Vale is under siege!" Sky protested.
"And we will deal with it." Ozpin said, reassuring the CRDL boy. "But as you can see, time is of the essence." The Headmaster gestured to the chaos ensuing outside. "You need to go, now. Get out of the city by any means necessary and get to Venezier."
"But, Headmaster-" He attempted to protest further.
"No 'buts', Mr. Lark." Ozpin said in a scolding manner. "Go." He pointed to the door. Sky nodded, conceding and turned to the door and ran, leaving Ozpin alone.
The Beacon Headmaster reached out to his desk, claiming his mug. He eyed the contents and stirred. With a final sigh, he downed what remained and slammed the mug onto his desk. The Headmaster then took off for the door, intent to join the fray. He reached out and hit the lights of his office before shutting the door behind him.
"Come on everyone, this way!" Nero White of Team DNCE shouted to a group of spectators as he gestured to the nearest exit. "It isn't safe here people, we need to go!"
Dove looked out over the sea of civilians and students, watching as they all attempted to run for the exit. He shot a glance over his shoulder, up at the giant Nevermore attempting to break into the arena. He watched as the cracks in the barrier dramatically became more prevalent. It wouldn't take much longer for it the Grimm to break in. And with so many innocents present and the lack of equipped Huntsmen, the CRDL boy could practically see the potential slaughter.
"Dove!" A familiar voice called out to Dove, snapping him out of his train thoughts. He glanced up, catching sight of Nero. Beside the DNCE member stood two of Team WILL, Iliad Marble and Lambert Blind.
"Come on man, we gotta get the hell out of here!" Lambert shouted, beckoning for Dove to join them in fleeing.
Dove glanced back to the sea of civilians, all making their way for the exits and then to the Nevermore overhead. "What about the Nevermore?!" Dove shouted over the frightened screams of the masses.
"Does it look like we're armed?" Iliad barked anxiously. "Evacuation's the priority, not fighting to the death with that!" She pointed to the Nevermore as it continued to bash its beak against the barrier.
"Now come on Dove!" Nero motioned for the boy to join them.
Conceding to his fellow students, Dove pulled himself out of his row and ran to join them. The four Beacon students then made a beeline for one of the farther, less crowded exits. The quartet pushed themselves through civilians, even jumping over those poor few who'd tripped. Dove looked back momentarily, debating whether to run back and help the fallen, but he kept his pace, not wanting to be separated from his fellow students, not like how he was separated from his team.
Dove silently cursed to himself, unable to stop those fearful thoughts from creeping into his head. If the colosseum was under attack, who knows what else was happening around Vale. Anyone of his teammates could be in trouble and he was none the wiser. They could be dead or dying and he was nowhere near to help them.
As the quartet ventured down the hallway, they were welcomed by an eerie silence. They'd seen others take this very exit, but they saw no one other than themselves. There were no footsteps signaling the company of others, only an empty hallway shared between them. But they paid it no real mind, chalking it up to way the masses poured for one lone exit while they, believing themselves to be smarter for taking the less traveled path, continued to run for the airships and buses parked on the landing pads.
And then they heard the yelling. The four Beacon students paled at the sounds of pained wails and that of inhuman growls. They continued cautiously, with Nero at the lead and Dove at the back. Turning a corner, they were greeted with the sight of a Beowulf tearing into a young man their age wearing Haven attire.
The Haven student continued to yell as the Beowulf continued its onslaught, using its sharp claws to slice through the man's aura and tear into his guts. Blood pooled around the young man as his screams began to fall silent.
"Oh shit." Lambert muttered.
"Run!" Iliad screamed. The quartet of Huntsmen then took off running down an opposite corridor. The Beowulf remained where it squatted. It wasn't in any rush.
Down the hall they went, fueled by the fear of meeting a grizzly death like that poor Haven student. But up ahead, something caught their eye, the sight of more bodies. The students slowed their pace as they cautiously investigated. Amongst the dead were students hailing from Haven and also from Vale.
Dove took a moment to inspect the dead, as if to satisfy some morbid curiosity. The others on the other hand continued on. Dove moved to rejoin, but his thoughts couldn't help but linger to the dead. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn it looked like they'd been shot to death. They hurried along, not liking the stench of death.
But Nero stopped, catching sight of something up ahead. "Yo Serin!" Nero called out up ahead to the approaching Team STAG. "You're going the wrong way! We have Grimm back there." He jotted a thumb over his shoulder down the path they'd come.
"We know." Serin muttered coldly. The STAG leader then reached around to the back of her pants, drawing a concealed hand gun. She raised the weapon, letting the sigil on the side gleam against the overhead lights. The rest of Team STAG
"Oh, cool, you guys brought your weapons!" Nero gave the quartet a jolly thumbs up.
Before the DNCE member even knew it, the sound of a gunshot rang out throughout the hallway. A red mist exploded backward, covering Dove and the two WILL members. Iliad let out a horrified scream while all Lambert could do was watch as their fellow huntsman in training toppled over, a large hole in his head.
Without a word, Serin and the rest of her team began to engage the trio. Angela Revear ran forward with her katana weapon, running Illiad through the abdomen. Iliad's horrified scream turned to a shrill high pitch cry. The sound of which snapped Dove to attention. The CRDL boy turned to see the rest of Team STAG converge, murderous intent in their eyes.
Angela withdrew her weapon the moment Iliad's screams turned silent. The WILL girl just fell over, joining Nero on the ground. Both Dove and Lambert turned to run, quickly establishing a substantial amount of distance between themselves and their attackers. But Serin wouldn't have it. She raised her gun and took aim. Pulling the trigger of her handgun, a number of gunshots rang out.
Dove winced, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. But he kept running, unable to allow himself to stop. He just kept running, moving as fast as he could and as far as his legs could take him. Dove made it around a bend and then the gunshots grew silent. He kept going, his mind a blank. The adrenaline was pumping and the world beyond was blocked out. All that mattered right now was getting away and getting help. He didn't even notice he'd been running alone.
Lambert lay on the floor, never even making it around the bend. The WILL boy crawled, dragging himself along the floor, a trio of fresh bullet wounds in his back. Serin and the rest of her team closed in on Lambert, taking their time. She walked up to the wounded boy and pressed her foot on his back, causing him to shout in pain while at the same time, holding him in place. She then aimed downward and steadied herself. Another pair of gunshots rang loudly.
"This is where we split up." Serin announced to her team, her eyes trailing the path Dove had taken. "Michael, Angela, hunt him down. Finish the kill." She signaled down the hall. The STAG members then nodded, heading their leader's orders they set off after Dove.
Serin then turned to her one remaining subordinate, Tobias Stillwater and cocked her head towards the direction of the landing pad. "They'll be mobbing up outside." She said as she loaded a fresh magazine into her weapon. Tobias acknowledged with a nod. With that said, the pair walked off, intent on joining their fellow students.
"Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted from where he stood beside the Ren and Nora in the front row of the bleachers.
Down below in the center of the ring was Pyrrha. On her knees and staring in disbelief of her actions. Scattered on the floor in front of her was what remained of Penny Polendina. Entire chunks of her with exposed cybernetics and sparking wires.
"Warning: Safety Barriers Failing." A monotone computerized voice announced over the loud speakers. Up above the Nevermore continued its assault, all in hopes of breaking in.
"Pyrrha! That things going to bust in!" Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping to call his partner to her sense. "Please, snap out of it!" He exclaimed.
But Pyrrha didn't respond, she was too lost in her head. She'd just murdered a peer, unintentional or not, she'd just killed someone. It didn't even matter if Penny was a robot, she was a Huntress like herself. For goodness sake, it went deeper than that. Penny wasn't just some other peer, she was a colleague, a friend of a friend even. And Pyrrha had allowed herself to take her life.
Tears ran down the sides of her cheeks as Pyrrha replayed the moment in her head. She'd seen a thousand swords appear out of thin air, all of which came crashing down on her. The stress of her monumental decision looming over her, she reacted in a panic. She used her semblance to push back Penny's onslaught. And then the next thing she knew, Penny's lifeless body was there on the ground. There were no thousand swords by her side, only ten. Ten flimsy sheets of metal that she could have simply bended and rendered useless. Instead, she'd forced them back, ripping Penny apart in the process.
Jaune leapt down from the bleachers, much to his team's reservation. All of those in attendance had already fled, leaving an empty arena and themselves alone with the giant Grimm up above. Nora anxiously jumped, glancing over her shoulder to the exit wile Ren stood calm by her side, watching their friends with concern.
"Pyrrha, you need to get up!" Jaune shouted as he climbed up onto the arena and raced to Pyrrha's side. The blonde knight reached out and grabbed onto her shoulder and shook the young woman in an attempt to snap her out of her daze. "We need to go, now!" He shouted.
But it was too late. As soon as the words escaped Jaune's lips, the barrier up above gave way. Sirens blared loudly as the Nevermore came swooping in. With the flap of its wings, the massive Grimm sent a huge gust of wind smacking into the pair of partners and sending them flying.
For a moment, Pyrrha thought that this was it, this was what she deserved. She'd killed an innocent and the universe had sent some indomitable Grimm to set things right, to clean the slate by killing her. And she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't stand for it. On the contrary, Pyrrha would have laid herself out to die that very moment. Because she felt in her heart that she deserved it.
She thought back to a few days ago, right after Team RWBY's match with some of her peers from Mistral. She'd mentioned her thankfulness for the rules and regulations of the tournament in contrast to the lawless fights they'd rage against kingpins of crime and terrorists. The irony was not lost to her, she'd broken every rule in the book.
The Nevermore let out a glass shattering screech. It turned its gaze towards Pyrrha, blocking out the rest of JNPR and honed in on the girl. It let out another screech and then lunched forward, intent on devouring her whole.
Jaune's cries fell on deaf ears as Pyrrha prepared herself. She'd never felt so small in her life. She'd never felt so guilty and ashamed of herself before. She just wanted it to be over, this feeling of the weight of the world Ozpin and the others had thrusted onto her shoulders. She just wanted everything to just stop for a moment, to let her think if only for a moment. And maybe it finally would, now that the Nevermore was here.
But suddenly, The Nevermore was knocked back with a thunderous crack. It let out a pained screech as it staggered backwards, rose petals raining onto the ground. Pyrrha looked up, snapped out of her thoughts to see Ruby standing there armed with one of Penny's swords.
"…Ruby?" Pyrrha asked quietly.
"Leave her alone!" Ruby shouted, sweat running down her forehead from the exertion from an earlier confrontation.
The Nevermore let out another high pitched screech and poised itself to engage Ruby in combat. But then out of the sky, numerous rocket lockers rained down, crashing into the Nevermore's body. With a loud 'thud', the Nevrmore collapsed dead. And Pyrrha looked on in confusion.
Out from the bleachers, students from the four kingdoms emerged. There were some Pyrrha recognized, like Team SSSN and Team CFVY. There were Team FNKY and Team DORK from Atlas. There was Team ABRN, the team from Mistral that fought Team RWBY on the opening day of the tournament. And then there was Team BRNZ, the team Pyrrha had fought. They were standing beside an all-female team that she recalled, Team NDGO. And there were many more, others from Vale like Danny Matchstick and Marie-Anne Cherri as well as several other faces she didn't recognize.
One by one they all dropped down from the bleachers and walked to center of the arena to claim their weapons off the now dead Grimm. Its body dissipated, evaporating into darkness and then into nothingness. Pyrrha just watched as more rocket lockers landing, those of Jaune's and Ruby's and also that of hers. The locker door opened, revealing Miló and Akoúo̱, both ready for use.
She looked to see Ruby claim her weapons, taking them and then turning to hand them to Pyrrha. But she just stared, tears still running down her rosy cheeks. "Ruby…" Pyrrha gasped. "I am so, so sorry."
"Me too." Ruby shared Pyrrha's saddened expression. "But it wasn't your fault." The fifteen year old said as she presented her weapons to her. Pyrrha then reached out and claimed them.
"She's right you know." Jaune chimed in. "Whoever was on that microphone... they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else." He said, earning a several voices of agreement from those present.
Pyrrha wiped away her tears. She turned to find no looks of judgement from those else present, but rather looks of determination. Everyone present was dead set on turning the night around and saving Vale. And Pyrrha couldn't help but share in their resolve. A slight smile formed on her face. "Alright." She said. "What next?"
"Griffons!" Ren shouted as he pointed upward. All the students looked up and found several of the Grimm flying in through the opening the Nevermore made.
"Game on!" Brawnz shouted, eagerly raising his claw weapons. The Huntsmen all then drew their weapons, ready for the fight. "Let's do this!"
But before any of the Huntsmen in-training could engage the Griffons, the voice of one of their teachers caught their ear. "Students!" The students all just stared in awe as Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck too to the field, armed with their own weapons. "I think it would be best for you to leave."
Pyrrha and Ruby exchanged the odd glance. "But we can help." Pyrrha said.
"This day will surely go down in Remnant's history." Port said as he took aim with his axe-rifle at the nearest Griffon. "I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell about it."
"Uh…cool." Reese Chloris shrugged, seeing no reason to object.
"Okay everybody, let's go!" Jaune shouted to the force of gathered students. Together the mass of Huntsmen in-training ran off for the nearest exit, with Pyrrha trailing at the end.
Pyrrha spared one last look over her shoulder to the pair of teachers, uncertain if she'd ever see them again. And then to the fallen body of Penny that had been scattered by the Nevermore. She fought the dark self-loathing thoughts that creeped into her head, turning her gaze back to the rest of her fellow Huntsmen. With any luck they might just be able to save the day.
In the city of Vale, Cinder's speech had given rise to anarchy. The citizens of the fare kingdom ran amok while The White Fang airdropped Grimm onto the streets. Looters smashed into markets, hoping to make off with provisions while the world burned around them, all the while local police scrambled to respond.
Atlesian war robots marched through the streets while their battle ships floating in the air were gunned down by a rogue flagship, taken over by a crime kingpin and his mute assistant. Nevermores and Griffons poured out of the sky, raining down hell and snatching unsuspecting, taking them high up into the air, only to release them and send them plummeting to their deaths.
Cardin found himself racing through the merchant district. He'd been waiting to catch a cab back to Beacon when Cinder's voice filled the airwaves. On nearby television sets in store windows, the Winchester could see the horrific climax of the Vytal Festival played on a loop by some outside force. And civilians not partaking in the end of the world were cowering in fear in nearby homes, in stores and in alleyways, all waiting for the Huntsmen to come and save the day just as they were always told.
But all anyone had to do was look over yonder to the far off Beacon academy, up to the skies over head. Nevermore and many other flight capable Grimm tore through the air while Atlesian vessels, or rather what was left of them, rained down, crashing into the city, exploding on impact and shooting debris into the surrounding area. Explosions rocked the surface and the deafening sound of collapsing architecture soon followed.
Cardin's heart skipped a beat as he could see the dust clouds sweeping through the streets, consuming all those in its path while the shockwave tossed parked cars and tossed whole sides of collapsed building into the air. People ran, that was all they could do in the face of a danger they could not comprehend.
Through the blinding dust cloud Cardin ran doing all he could to keep the world together just seconds longer. Vale wasn't just a kingdom, it was his home. He grew up here in the Merchant district, he'd ran around and often stared up in awe at those buildings that now shattered against the ground like glass. The city of Vale was his home, and these people who'd only wished to live the life they best could, he'd sworn to protect them the moment he got on that airship to Beacon. So in the face of danger, with the world crashing down all around him, Cardin raced into the unknown.
The sounds of gatling guns and dispensed bullet casings clashing against pavement echoed off in the distance as Atlesian Knights met their Grimm opposites. The deathly screeches of overhead birds of prey and inhuman monsters cut through the night. Far off death machines built in porcelain factories on a far off continent whizzed by, propelled by their screaming engines. And yet none of these sounds caught Cardin's ears, he was too focused on the cries of the innocent.
Through the desolation Cardin raced, leaping over toppled over debris and racing through glass covered road. He passed by people running the opposite way and allowed himself a moment to glance over his shoulder, just to ensure they were alright, that they could carry on without his aid.
Cardin followed the shouts and cries, finding a pair of civilians in their late twenties desperately attempting to free a plethora of others trapped behind the remains of a supermarket. The pair of civilians, average working class fellows, turned to see Cardin, a look of relief finding its way to their downtrodden faces.
"It's a Huntsman!" Cardin could hear a child's voice shout from somewhere behind the debris. "We're gonna be alright!"
"Can you help them?" One of the pair of civilians asked, a younger looking fellow with black hair wearing a supermarket employee's uniform.
"One moment." Cardin said as he reached into his back pocket for his scroll. Quickly, he dialed up the prompt to call in his weapon and hit the confirm button. In less than a minute, a rocket locker found its way crashing nearby. Cardin then ran to the locker and pried it open, retrieving his mace.
"Get clear!" Cardin shouted, gesturing for everyone trapped behind the rubble to take a step back. The CRDL leader then raised his mace, the magma dust crystal centerpiece flaring to life. He then slammed it down on the ground, sending a streak of explosive energy to detonate at the face of the rubble, blowing it clear and freeing the trapped civilians.
The pair of average looking civilians then got to work helping those trapped safely exit the collapsed building. Cardin then raced over, joining them. "Is that everyone?" He asked as he peered into the darkness, finding no signs of anyone else.
"That's it, we're good!" One of the civilians shouted.
"Now what?" Another asked, a woman in her late thirties. She then looked around, gesturing to the ruined dust covered street and over yonder to the battle raging near Beacon. "Where do we go now?"
And just like that, all the people looked to Cardin for answers. But the truth of the matter was, Cardin didn't have a plan, all he did was run into danger without thinking. There was no step two, there was no superior he could raise, not with the communication blackout anyways. But this wasn't the time for him clamor up, this was the time to get his shit in order. Because now there were people who depended on him.
He was three years away from being a full blown Huntsman. But it seemed graduation came early. So Cardin turned his head northern east coast, right on the outskirts of town. From what he could tell, it seemed to be the only part of the city not on fire. If anything it most certainly would be their best option to set up a safe zone, not to mention it gave them water access to evacuate people to Peach if need be.
But before Cardin could relay his direction to the civilians, a nearby growl caught his ear. Emerging out of a ruined building, Cardin caught sight of a pack of blood soaked Creeps. Their appearance was startling to say the least. The Winchester watched for a moment, waiting to see what the Creeps would do while the civilians he'd rescued cowered behind him.
There was something off about the Grimm, something odd yet familiar. Cardin watched as they sauntered out into the open, watching each individual member of the pack. It was their movements, he pinpointed, something about the way they moved, it was too sluggish. If Cardin didn't know any better, he'd probably say these were the same pack from…
"…Oakwood." Cardin gritted his teeth, realizing the origin of The White Fang's supply of ravenous Grimm.
"Oakwood?" One of the civilians asked disbelievingly. "That's pretty far away, Mr. Huntsman."
"Shoreline, move, now!" Cardin barked, pointing off to the distance as the pack of blood covered Creeps turned their attention their way.
Seeing the approaching Grimm, the civilians eagerly nodded and followed Cardin's command. The numerous civilians took off, leaving Cardin to deal with the Grimm. But that was alright with him, it was his job.
One of The Creeps attempted to break off from the pack and lunge after one of the civilians, but Cardin smashed his mace down onto the ground, causing a magma blast to streak through the pavement and explode under the Creep's feet, sending it flying. The pack turned their attention to Cardin and flared their teeth and charged in unison.
Cardin roared, deciding to meet the Grimm halfway and charged.
Going into this arc, I really wanted to portray the attack on Vale for what it is. Its an act of Terror. You can pick up shades of 9/11 imagery during Cardin's section, especially. In the show, Cardin was depicted as being in the city and fighting. I really wanted to maintain that. While everyone was busy at Beacon, he was down fighting in the streets. He's our first responder.
I'm sidelining Sky, he's got shit to do.
And Dove, oh poor Dove, he's having a bad day.
This chapter is mainly set up. Sorry if its not as long as some of the latest chapters.
So, I've got nothing else to say about the chapter. I'd like to thank you all for reading, it means a lot! Seriously, thank you.
Next chapter will take some time, but it shouldn't be too long. 'Til next time! Later days!
